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Sometimes Minako still dreamed of her time in the Galaxy Cauldron, the birthplace of star seeds. With only the warmth of her own star seed to comfort her, she watched as one by one seeds left the Cauldron, ready to find their place in the world. When Sailor Moon had chosen to save the Cauldron, she had wept tears of joy.
Now, whenever she looked up at the stars these days, she couldn't help but be reminded of that beauty. Because life could still be born in this world, there could still be love.
Night had fallen, and the sand was cool against Minako's feet as she and Setsuna walked along the beach. Setsuna's slender hand in hers was warm, and her red eyes seemed to sparkle in the starlight. Before, they hadn't spent much time together, but since returning from the center of the galaxy, Minako had found herself more and more drawn to Setsuna.
"The stars are beautiful tonight, aren't they?" Setsuna said suddenly, in that quiet, gentle voice of hers.
"Y-Yeah, they really are!" Minako stammered, her cheeks growing warm. "And maybe each of those star system has their own guardians too!"
Setsuna let out a faint chuckle. "Even seeing all that I did while standing at the Door of Time, I never imagined our galaxy had so many Sailor Guardians."
"Meeting you was definitely a shock!" Minako's fingers tightened around Setsuna's. "I'll never forget that day!"
"Oh, is that so?"
"I mean, yeah." Minako scratched her cheek, which had grown even warmer. "For a long time, it was just me and Artemis. Okay, maybe not that long, but I was fighting by myself for a while." She was rambling, but feeling Setsuna's piercing stare upon her, she found that she couldn't stop. "So when the others finally awakened, I was really happy! And then finding other guardians beyond the five of us? We weren't alone at all! Though, you definitely gave a better first impression than Michiru-san and Haruka-san did…"
"They can be rather intense, I will admit." Again Setsuna chuckled quietly. "But it's all to protect our princess."
"Usagi-chan, huh? And thanks to her, we can still all be together like this."
The two of them came to a stop, watching the waves gently hit the sands of the beach. Silence fell over the two of them, and still Setsuna's hand in Minako's was warm. They could be here together in this moment, thanks to Sailor Moon. Again Minako stared up at the stars; so many guardians among those stars, she knew, each of them protecting the peace of the galaxy. She wasn't alone. None of them were.
"Minako?" Setsuna asked gently.
She jolted, turning her head; had Setsuna always been so beautiful? She tried to speak, raising a hand to Setsuna's cheek, but no words would form. Once, someone had told her she would never find love, that she would never have to choose between her duty and love. But why should she have to choose? Her duty was to protect the princess, that much was true, but Usagi would also want her to be happy. Thus she inhaled a deep breath to calm her racing heart and lifted herself onto her toes to press her lips to Setsuna's.
Minako had always been attracted to the mysterious types, after all.
The kiss was brief, but still the warmth of Setsuna's lips lingered on Minako's. They were silent a moment longer, and Setsuna raised a hand to touch her lips. "I believe it may be an honor, being loved by the Guardian of Love herself."
"I don't think I'm as grand as that," Minako said, clasping Setsuna's hand between hers, "but as long as I draw breath, I'll protect the love in this galaxy!"
"It has truly been a blessing, being able to fight alongside all of you like this." Setsuna's smile brightened. "Thank you, Minako."
Minako also smiled, and beneath the stars, the two of them shared another kiss.